The Body Cannot Prosper When Members Neglect the Whole

Psalm 128:5 commands us to 'see the good of Jerusalem'—a mandate Spurgeon and Calvin understood as far more than personal piety. The godly person cannot ethically pursue only individual welfare while the church of God languishes. This would be as senseless as a hand prospering while the body wastes away. Our fallen nature pulls us relentlessly toward self-interest. We naturally desire what benefits ourselves—our households, our pursuits, our comfort.…